The prostaglandins are a group of hormone-like substances which may be viewed as derivatives of prostanoic acid. Several prostaglandins are found widely distributed in mammalian tissue and have been isolated from this source. These prostaglandins have been shown to possess a variety of biological properties such as bronchodilation and the ability to reduce gastric secretion.
The present invention concerns prostaglandin E.sub.2 and certain reduced prostaglandin E.sub.2 derivatives in which the 9-position (using the prostanoic acid numbering system) remains intact as a carbonyl group; the 11-position is a methylene group, i.e. the 11-hydroxyl group normally present in PGE.sub.2 has been removed and is replaced with hydrogen; the 16-position bears two methyl groups; and the normally present 17-20 carbon atoms have been removed and replaced with either a phenyl or benzyl group.